


Welcome to the Jungle

by 48eyesand32teeth1sharptongue



Series: Antifreeze AU Oneshots [7]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst Escalation and Whump, Episode: s13e23 Let the Good Times Roll, Gen, I have no idea how they are gonna stop the apocalypse in space but hey, Let's make earth-obsessed S5 Lucifer work with S13, Lucifer POV, Lucifer and TFW go to outer space, Manipulation, Sam is always Jack's parent, basically Lucifer is going for the long con, but then canon struck, but then it falls apart, like usual, originally this was gonna be, post chapter 2 everyone is eventually going to space, that's what makes this fic different from all my other variations of this scenario
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2019-09-29 03:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17195492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/48eyesand32teeth1sharptongue/pseuds/48eyesand32teeth1sharptongue
Summary: Lucifer tries to lure Jack to his side and have him accidentally do the heavy lifting for world domination without Jack realizing it.Sam isn't going to be on board.





	1. Masks

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate S13 setup yay!
> 
> I don't actually know what I'm doing with this, I just figured I'd write this to write something.
> 
> Chapter title a song from a novaddict video that's great.
> 
> Also, S13 finale dialogue is used a lot, thanks to writer's block.

"Sam said you're dead. He said Michael killed you." Jack starts in, stopping his flagrant show of violent self-hatred thanks to shock. Lucifer doesn't have to wonder where he got that habit from- Sam's always had the same low self-esteem, and while his flavor of self-destruction had taken a different turn, Lucifer bets that Dean is to blame, along with the remnants of John's influence, and that Sam hadn't quite seen that slip through the cracks in Jack's own upbringing. Not like Sam would be thrilled with this development- Lucifer knows he's taken their kid under his wing and wouldn't let that kind of thing fester- but something tells Lucifer that Dean and Jack hid this particular issue from Sam in their own way. Lucifer can use that, too. He isn't sure how, yet, but he knows sympathy and some well-timed reveals of this secret might throw Sam off into the deep end tending to Jack, or at least unable to counter Lucifer long enough to make more long-term plays. Jack won't hear a word against himself if he keeps playing this right, and Sam will just have to fall into the name of the game if he wants to keep Jack close and safe.

And provided Lucifer can get Jack in his corner... Well. Then Sam's along for the ride whether he wants to be or not.

"Yeah, well, let's just call that cautiously pessimistic." Lucifer says with a wave of his hand, adding, "Sam hit his head one too many times, buddy. He thought he saw me go down. But I'm still swinging. And then I got left behind. No skin off my back, though. I always find my way back."

 Jack still regards him with caution. Not true fear, though, which is a good sign, in Lucifer's book. Means he can work this to his advantage, if Jack hasn't been given any of the nitty-gritty details yet.

"But if the rift is closed, then how are you here?" Jack asks.

"Oh, no. Not how. Why." Lucifer turns the conversation around easily, not wanting to linger on what isn't beneficial to his plans. "I'm here for you, Jack. Because, you know, even though the Three Amigos- Sam, Dean, and the other one- won't admit it, you need me." Lucifer emphasizes. Everyone needs him. Sam. Heaven. Hell. The Earth. Just because certain people keep ignoring that fact doesn't change the truth. "You do, 'cause we're blood. And we're not human, no matter how much we pretend to be. See, humans are..." Lucifer inhales, thinking of all the times Sam had to be forced back into life, thinking of all the times he failed the one he was made for, and Lucifer settles on, "Limited and fragile. And I'll admit, they bring out the worst in me, I gotta say. It seems like, you know, no matter how much you try to do right around them, something always goes wrong. Follow?"

"I... I know." Jack answers.

Lucifer can see there's a story there. He wonders just what Jack has done to have that kind of inconvenient guilt eating at him. All the development Lucifer didn't get to see because Jack was stolen from him,  _just like everything else-_

Lucifer reigns that emotion in. Anger will not achieve anything right now. Gentle acceptance, patience... Those were the tools of the trade to close a deal. And sure, if Jack was anything like Sam, it might be a hard sell, but Sam had had years of anger and self-hatred and fear pressing all his stubbornness to the surface and making him less than cooperative. But Jack isn't as used to fighting for creatures beneath him, not like Sam was, even back when the Cage opened and Lucifer tried to offer him the world.

No. Lucifer would get what he wants this time, and this time, he'll make Jack understand, and follow in his footsteps. He's only talking sense, after all. And Jack's such an indecisive kid. All he needs is someone to show him the ropes, and he'll be singing the right tune soon.

"Right?" Lucifer ups the ante with the intensity. Jack's faltering uncertainty needs to be ironed out with faith, after all, because ironclad faith and trust brings people in, particularly vulnerable, hurting people. Lucifer knows that all too well, with all the times he's believed in something only to have it torn from him.

Jack needs to believe in him like he has been, to see how similar they are. How he belongs at his side, and that Lucifer can give him answers to a world that hasn't been kind to them.

Lucifer's tone softens, turns all understanding, because humanity has always been such an emotional, messy thing, and that part of Jack aches for all the things he just can't navigate, because he's trying to be like something he's not. He'll take after Lucifer more by the time he's finished, even if Sam has rubbed off on him. With any luck, he'll get the best of both, preferably without Sam's annoying habits of refusing perfectly fair offers and then indulging in martyrdom and self-destruction. "And that's not their fault, or ours." Lucifer puts a hand on Jack's shoulder, motioning between the two of them. "It's just, us and humans, we're like oil and water. You know, sardines and strawberries. It's just a bad combination."

Jack doesn't pull away. He's practically begging for guidance all alone out here, far from Sam and Cas and Mary, the only other people who he considers close enough to trust the same way. (Lucifer could even tell in their limited interactions that Jack's emulation of him, his eagerness to please, came from the same kind of instinct for self-preservation and disgusting ingrained types of shame that Sam has already fallen so far into when he decided to follow his brother's lead, because Dean ruins everything... But not this time. This time, Lucifer will make them _see_.)

"What do we do?" Jack asks. Lucifer can smell the desperation, and tightens his grip like a lifeline.

"Square up and try again." Lucifer says, all positive. "Practice makes perfect, right?"

"But I keep hurting people, I keep-"

"Jack. You have me. And you have Sam." Lucifer tries not to keep the laughter out of his voice, and succeeds, instead keeping his tone all reasonable. "We can limit any of kind mistakes you make. All of us, we're powerful. Hell, I can bring people back from the dead, and that's a nifty trick you just might be able to learn..." And there's a light in Jack's eyes now, something more than just desperation, something that makes him turn all solemn and full of fire, and with it, Lucifer plays the card he knows will creep under his son's skin the most. "More importantly, we _believe_ in you." Lucifer crouches to Jack's level and pokes at his heart, just to drive his point home. "But that doesn't mean we have to limit ourselves." Lucifer says, hand to his mouth, all conspiratorial, before patting Jack on the back. "We're not human. We've got wings. And there's a whole universe out there, buddy. Planets. Stars. Galaxies. I mean, don't get me wrong, Earth is beautiful, and it's ours, our home. But why should we stay here when we can go anywhere else to train you up?"

"Like, um, like Star Wars?" Jack latches on, every bit a young child. Malleable. Hopeful. 

Lucifer laughs, and he doesn't wonder at the movie choice. Looks like Sam hasn't given up on showing the kids the old classics, ones they've all watched. Least they have that other common denominator.

"Exactly like Star Wars." Lucifer promises. "You want a lightsaber? I can make you a lightsaber. Heck, I can make you a Wookie."

The kid's almost ready to bite. His eyes are shining and hopeful.

There's not really a reason for him to say no, either, not when he's chomping at the bit to isolate himself in a misguided bid for redemption...

Then the kid's face falls.

 "But... No. Sam, Dean, and Castiel, they'll miss me." Jack stutters out.

Lucifer keeps sending over waves of calm, the assuring, small smile not once leaving his face as he straightens and shrugs.

"Who says we have to leave them behind?" Lucifer asks, and holds out a hand. "Trust me. The Winchesters taught you family was everything, right? Well, you're my family, and Sam is, too. And I know Sam would agree with me here: you have to live your life for you. Right?" Lucifer doesn't wait for Jack to nod, and keeps going. "Only this time, you can't hurt the people you love, because I'll be looking out for you right alongside them, the way I was supposed to from the very beginning. This is our second chance, kiddo. This is our opportunity to escape our past and our sins and start over. What do you say? Father, son. You up for an adventure, buddy?"

"I... I'd like that." Jack turns shy, but Lucifer knows how important it is to close a deal, and can't give him time to back out.

"And we're not giving up the earth. It's our home. But you don't have to stay limited to a false human life." Lucifer assures. "I mean, look up, kiddo. Look at all the universe has to offer. Magnificent, isn't it?"

"It really is." Jack's taking the bait, hook, line, and sinker.

"Look at all those worlds, Jack. We're gonna take the grand tour, buddy. We're gonna explore every nook and cranny of creation. We might even learn something, maybe come up with some improvements..." Lucifer muses.

"Improvements?" Jack turns quizzical, thrown for a second.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll... We'll talk about that later." Lucifer backtracks. Can't get too enthusiastic right off the bat. Sam never responded well to too much enthusiasm and passion, hard facts of life be damned, and if he's raised Jack the same way... Best to play it safe. "Think of it like being a padawan. You can learn the ropes from Cassie and Sam and me. We all have different strengths."

"Like Ahsoka did, with Anakin and Obi-Wan?" Jack's expression clears, all the furrows in his brow smoothed over as he breathes in deeper, and relaxes, more distracted from all his internal fears.

"Exactly." Lucifer won't say that's a lie, even if one name is unfamiliar. He assumes his kid knows what he's talking about. And it's not like he's had access to that much TV, seeing as the pit didn't get reception at all and the other world wasn't much better. That, and as long as humans are crawling like maggots over the earth, endless sequels are a fact of life so long as humans are keeping the gravy train going, so it's not too much of reach to assume there's some new Star Wars movie that Sam had let the kid see.

But all of that is window-dressing for the real stakes of this game. What really matters is if Lucifer can get the kid's grace or get him off planet to keep him out of the way, because then it won't be too hard to let Michael think he's won. Plan A is to just rip Michael to shreds and to take custody of his son, and if the Winchesters don't like that, well... They don't really get a say, and it's not like Sam's going to abandon the kid. He'll fall in line. The next step is to relocate to another planet where the Winchesters can't get in the middle of things and throw everything to the wolves like they are so very good at. If Lucifer can take the rest of the Winchester's posse along with Jack while Lucifer regroups and finds a way to take Heaven by storm and keep them all out of the line of fire while Lucifer cleans up the mess that has plagued the earth too long thanks to Sam's inability to get with the program, then everything will work out just fine. This planet belongs to Lucifer, no matter what this alternate version of Michael may believe. And Sam belongs to him, too, with an even stronger claim. He always has, no matter where he runs. Lucifer has carved himself deep inside Sam's bones, where no one was ever going to rip him out...

"Thing is, kid, there's one problem." Lucifer finally moves on to the next stage of the plan. His face turns worried. "See, if I got through, then that other Michael might be a threat. He did steal most of my grace. And if he got back here... Then Sam and the rest of the world are all in danger. And we can't have that, right?"

Jack's expression turns thunderous as he exclaims, "No, we have to warn them! We have to stop him-"

"And we will." Lucifer answers. "There's just one t-"

Right on time, Sam's prayer sings out between them, lighting up the line of grace from the Bunker straight to them.

**Jack, Jack, I don't know where you are, and I don't even know if you can hear this prayer. We need you.**

And that makes it all too easy.

"We have to go, we have to-" Jack stumbles over his words as he rushes to fly off, but Lucifer grabs his jacket and tugs him back with his own depleted grace, firm but not too forcefully. Don't want to spook him, after all.

"We're no use to them if we go in without a plan." Lucifer replies, and he reels Jack in, knowing logic will win the day. "And you can't go in alone. I know you're worried about messing up." Lucifer clasps his hands over Jack's own, all entreating as he puts the Archangel blade in his palms, and adds, "But I have the experience to make sure we're one step ahead. And the fact is, you and me, we're the only ones who can stop him." Lucifer's voice gains more intensity, rising in strength, "I can guide you, Jack, and I can make sure no one else gets hurt. But between my showdown with Michael and getting back here... The truth is, I could use more firepower. That's why I need some of your grace, so I can power back up to full throttle. You think you can do that for me?" Lucifer asks.

Jack expression flickers, his need to immediately fly into the fray clouding his natural suspicion.

There's something hungry lurking in the backs of Lucifer's eyes, something glittering and cold and bright, but Jack's too young and too scared and preoccupied to notice.

"I..." Jack says, and bites his lip. Lucifer lets him pull away, but makes sure the kid's hands keep hold of the Archangel blade as he pats his shoulder, one wing flaring out to wrap around Jack's shoulder.

"Look, I know it's a lot to ask. But you can trust me. Michael can take on me or you, but the two of us? Not a chance. Right now, Jack, we have to work together, to save the people we love. And I can protect you, son. I want to protect you. I haven't been able to watch you grow up..." Lucifer's voice turns pleading, then morphs into something more fervent, playing on all the strings that will make Jack dance to his tune. "And you can show Sam that you can be good, just like he taught you." Lucifer breathes, and notes the hitch of Jack's throat, the frozen way he wants this so badly to work out-

Lucifer takes hold of Jack's shoulders. Just in case. (If he says no, well... Lucifer is not above taking what he needs. But he wants his son to be in it with him, together. Like it was always supposed to go.)

"We can't let Michael destroy the earth or the people we care about. We're stronger than him." Lucifer assures. "We can fix this and make earth the place it needs to be. We can save the world, son." Lucifer's voice turns into a whisper, just like it did back in the false Cage, when he promised Sam the same thing, and got rejected. But this kid was going to fix Sam's mistakes. His kid was going to fix everything. All Lucifer needs is a little donation to make sure that Sam or anyone else can't ruin everything when Lucifer finally makes his grand play. "We can save our family. We can save Sam. We don't have to lose anyone else." Lucifer promises, and then goes in for the kill. "Son. I need your help here. Are you in?"

And Jack gives up a tiny bit of his own grace before they fly off to meet their destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE TO SELF FIND A WAY TO INTEGRATE THIS, OTHERWISE DITCH THIS STUFF:
> 
> Sam stares Lucifer and shoves him back.
> 
> "How else did you think this was going to end?" He asks.
> 
> But he doesn't need an answer, because they already both know.
> 
> \--
> 
> The world doesn't fall with a bang, but a whisper between the Devil and his half-brother.
> 
> Sam knew Lucifer would make it out, somehow. He'd re-watched that moment in his mind, leaving him behind, over and over, the memory as sharp as the real thing...
> 
> He knows it was never really permanent.
> 
> It never is.
> 
> \--
> 
> When Jack flies back to answer Sam's prayer, Lucifer in tow, neither of them wastes time. And Michael, powerful as he is, can't handle splitting his attentions between an archangel and a nephilim, particularly when the nephilim can hold his own just fine.
> 
> He flies away, wounded, Lucifer having stabbed him in the back while Jack brought him to his knees. (Lucifer doesn't mind killing him- he already has a backup plan in case he needs an out or sufficient leverage if Sam decides to be a little too truthful, or his brother gets some smart aleck idea and runs his motormouth too much- then he'll need something else to keep Jack and Sam in line, and as much as he'd prefer Michael dead, truth is, his real brother has always been superior to this other version.)
> 
> "Yay, it's me." Lucifer throws his hands up in mock celebration, keeping his eyes trained on Sam's and the dip of his Adam's apple, the way his head lowers, unable to meet his eyes even as he's reaching out as if trying to herd Jack away from the bright creature shadowing his footsteps. "You're welcome."
> 
> "Jack-" Dean starts in, but Lucifer cuts him off.


	2. Sympathy for the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Really short canon alterations of dialogue for the in-between scenes, eventually I'll flesh this out more.
> 
> Chapter title a song by the Rolling Stones. There is also no sympathy to be found, I just needed a chapter title.
> 
> Also here's where canon gets thrown out again sorta. This ends really abruptly but I just wanted to get my thoughts down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I could cut the Michael parts out and just skip some dialogue or move it around to make this work better, but I just really wanted the contract dialogue in there somewhere.
> 
> Also the usual grace telepathy is added in.
> 
> I'm probably gonna rework this but honestly I'm just trying to destroy writer's block and have everything not suck.

When they arrive, Lucifer keeps his eyes on Sam. Jack is doing a pretty good job on his own, and Lucifer needs to make sure Sam doesn't try to make a break for it, or draw sigils, or whatever supposedly clever plan he tries to implement goes through.

Except the spanner in the works comes from the opposite corner.

"Lucifer, we... We had a deal!" Michael manages to gasp and breaks Lucifer's carefully crafted plan with a few words, but that doesn't matter now.

Lucifer laughs. "Yeah, about that..."

"What does he mean?" Jack accuses, turning on him. The denial is a spitting image of Sam's, all frozen fear and wide eyes.

And Lucifer can't have everything unraveling so fast. Not again.

"Funny story, that, but don't worry, son." Lucifer's words are fast and pointed, each one picked carefully. He's not a liar, after all. "See, in order to get back, well... I didn't really have a choice but to play along. Not if we wanted Michael out of the way completely. And I wasn't going to abandon you. I'm not like my Dad, kid. I wasn't going to leave you alone."

Dean's unwanted interruption cuts through.

"Bullshit. What he means is they had a deal. Lucifer gets you, and Michael gets everything else." Dean's angry turns louder, "He's gonna nuke our world, Jack, just like he did his."

Lucifer clasps his hands together to fight the urge to strangle him.

(And Sam's throat hitches and he flinches off to the side at the sound, and Lucifer welcomes the familiar sight.)

"Now, Dean. That's where you are wrong. I've told you once already. Why would I ever allow any harm to come to this planet? It's mine. And all I've done my whole life is try to take care of it, even if you don't like my methods."

"You said I would get the earth-" Other Michael rasps, cutting in. 

Lucifer rolls his eyes.

"Thing is, I didn't lie. I chose my words very carefully. You will get the earth as your paradise. Because I'm going to grind you into a billion pieces and scatter the remains of your grace into the ground before you die." Lucifer promises, and taps his foot. "In a way, it will be the last thing you ever see and get to call home. Death is so often viewed as paradise, and compared to what Hell could do to you, well, I'd consider this almost a mercy-"

Lucifer waves a hand, and then the ground opens up in a line, the ground shaking as Lucifer keeps the rest of the Bunker untouched, and Michael is pulled over by invisible tendrils of grace.

The light of Lucifer's wings shines brighter, and it's not long before Lucifer's hand is peeking through his vessels chest, the Archangel blade peeking through the other side.

Michael slides off his arm to the floor, wingprints embedded in the dirt.

Lucifer wipes the blood off the blade with his sleeve and shrugs, giving Jack a smile.

"See? He never saw it coming. You were a perfect distraction, if I do say so myself-" Lucifer starts in.

"Jack. Jack, trust me, you need to get away from him, for your own safety-" Sam interrupts, and steps towards their son, trying to pull Jack away from the Archangel blade in Lucifer's hand-

But then Lucifer steps forward and pulls Jack closer, wings radiating out in warning.

Jack tries to shield Sam, sees how scared Sam is, how wrong this has all gone all of a sudden, but Lucifer's grace is just as strong as his, and keeps him frozen.

Lucifer doesn't attack though. It's only a show, to prove just how much of a choice this isn't, because there has only ever been one true choice.

"Sam," Lucifer sighs, holding up his hands, face the picture of innocence, "I know this is hard for you of all people to believe, but I'm not going to hurt my son. Or you."

Sam would laugh at the lie if his voice wasn't smothered deep in his throat.

Jack gives them both a questioning look and almost asks, but then he sees the look on Dean's face and the stiffness of Sam's every muscle and the way Castiel is straining to break free, and asks anyway.

"Why would he think you would hurt him? You brought him back-"

"Son, I'll answer all your questions in a second. But right now, Sam and I have to work some things out." Lucifer raises an eyebrow at the open mouth and every telegraphed movement showing Sam's thoughts, but the sooner this smooths over, the sooner they can get back down to fixing everything that's gone so horribly off-script. "Look. Despite you leaving me to die, the truth is, I came here to save him, and the rest of you. I've only ever tried to save people from themselves, Sammy. You most of all. This wasn't a betrayal, or a trick. I did what I had to. And as a very freakishly tall someone once told me," Lucifer says, and nods at Sam, who keeps his eyes on Jack and the blade and looks like he might make a break to go for it any second now- "Contracts are nonbinding when made under duress."

Dean and Cas run towards him just as Sam tries to pull Jack back and grab the blade, but they all stop short when Lucifer sends a wave of grace over, stronger than ever. And all of them can see the raised hand, poised ever so slightly, as Lucifer licks his lips and eyes Sam up and down.

"You son of a bitch, you of all people-" Dean snarls.

"Dean." Lucifer groans. "I am not currently the bad guy, here."

**Tell that to Maggie-**

_Sam, we are never going to move forward if you keep bringing up the past. And I brought her back, just like I brought you back. And it would be a shame if anyone else suffered any accidents, right? So here's the deal. I'm willing to turn over a new leaf and play nice for our son, but if you force my hand, well... I'm not leaking grace like a stuck pig anymore, so I won't be the one on my knees. You wear the look better, if I do say so myself._

Lucifer keeps talking without pause, covering his threat and the way Sam can't quite do anything but keep Jack clutched to his chest. "Try to be civil. After all, Jack and I are saving the day. I mean, you all should be so proud. Jack's a really generous soul. And he's willing to do practically anything to keep you all safe. Even lend me some grace so I can make sure nothing horrible happens to either of you again. Isn't it beautiful?"

The second threat lands, and Sam knows there's another gut punch waiting to land. But they can't strike right now. They need to regroup, need to figure out a way to cast him out, to get Jack to safety-

"Look, guys, let's just take a breath and relax. We're all on the same side, here." Lucifer assures.

Jack's frustration begins to bubble over.

"What aren't you telling me?" Jack demands. Then his grace sings, and his eyes glow gold. "Tell me the truth."


	3. When The Chips Are Down (tiny segment)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't write anything complete at the moment so here, have a segment. Mostly because this fic exists because I love the dynamic where Lucifer is trying to get Jack to like him while he and Sam keep giving each other eye-murder stares promising RETRIBUTION every time Jack is clueless.
> 
> Eventually, this will have actual dialogue and not be pure exposition, but c'est la vie for now.
> 
> Chapter title a song from Hadestown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Violence, implied and threatened.
> 
> To quote the song:
> 
> "Aim for the heart, shoot to kill  
> If you don’t do it then the other one will"
> 
> “And the first shall be first  
> And the last shall be last  
> Cast your eyes to heaven  
> You get a knife in the back  
> Nobody’s righteous  
> Nobody’s proud  
> Nobody’s innocent  
> Now that the chips are down”
> 
> Also to quote Portal 2: SPAAAAAAAAAACE
> 
> because that and GLaDOS all I could think of when the episode actually aired... and this is where the next chapter is going. TFW trapped in space is something we all need.
> 
> anyway this will be directly edited and added to eventually please don't judge me I'm tired of my drafts existing in limbo

The thing is, thanks to Jack's grace singing in Lucifer's system, there's no unspooling thread of compulsion to force Lucifer to say something that Jack would likely take the wrong way.

Lucifer isn't a liar, after all. He just doesn't see the need to burden the kid with nitpicky little details he doesn't have the maturity to parse yet.

Besides, relationships, romantic or true vessel or otherwise, are complicated and nuanced, and the kid is young. He doesn't understand all the details yet, and there's no use burdening him with something less than what Sam would consider age appropriate.

So he'll keep it kid-friendly, PG-13. Sam should learn to appreciate that, seeing how much he's tried to shelter the kid and so far, miserably failed.

Lucifer's eyes light up gold, as he explains, oh-so-reasonably, that he and Sam have a complicated history, full of miscommunications and accidental betrayals (it's a little hard to avoid that bit, seeing as it rings a bit too true on both sides- that and Castiel and Dean both try to get a word in edgewise, so Lucifer has to smooth those interruptions over). Midway through, he lets slip that it'll all be water under the bridge soon, a threat he knows lands from the way Sam flinches and the way his jaw grits together and the way there's that tiny little eye-widening blink, lovely enough to show more of the beautiful whites of his eyes.

Jack asks for clarifications- who wouldn't, after all- while Dean makes some kind of disbelieving inarticulate noise of rage and the only thing stopping him from trying to ram an angel blade straight through Lucifer's jaw is the pulsing power that holds him still, and that fact that that flavor of retribution will give Sam a patented heart attack for the consequences they all know will follow.

That, and there's still the oh-so-slight tilt of Lucifer's almost-crossed fingers, hanging there, slight enough to go unnoticed to the untrained eye, and ready to snap and send Sam into the stop-duck-flinch autopilot they all know so well. (For Jack, it's all unfiltered white noise of a time he hasn't lived, but hey, Lucifer knew that this solution is the only way this was ever going to work with the three of them in the picture, and as long as Sam and the other two keep playing along, Lucifer sees no need for anyone's insides to get distended.)

Otherwise, Lucifer keeps on running his mouth. He's been waiting a long time to get this out of the way, really. Means the Winchesters can't kick him to the curb without tripping over themselves and justifying things they shouldn't, seeing whoever gets to frame that history gets Jack's trust for talking.

Lucifer will go easy on Sammy, though. Kid won't say shit because he knows he has absolutely no control and no leverage and exactly what he's in for either way this goes, and they all know that this is going to be an adjustment.

But if they all try to make this work, well, Lucifer will try to make it easy to brush off the past. Sam at least could be grateful he's not holding a torch for retribution, when they all know none of them have paid their full dues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also, obviously Lucifer is a liar and not just by omission, but he does his best work when making things have enough plausible deniability to not exactly be a lie without actually having the context explain that he's done totally horrific things you can't sugarcoat... that and I love unreliable bs narrators when I'm not writing Sam's wonderful POV.
> 
> anyway... onwards and upwards into the great unknown I guess, I can't wait to make the dumbest 2001 Space Odyssey references as the worst jokes ever
> 
> \---
> 
> MAKE THIS DIALOGUE WORK SELF:
> 
> "See, you know that Cage I told you about? Well, Sam's the one who let me out."
> 
> "Sammy here is all about independence. So you can imagine that being my true vessel, not exactly something he was always on board with. But we made it work, for a time."  
> \--  
> "I'm afraid I can't do that, Dean." Lucifer deadpans, and then he waves the door to the space station shut.  
> \--  
> Sam destroys his room with a muffled scream.


End file.
